Indiana Jones

Fictional Adventurer / Archaeologist

Born: 1981

Birthplace: The Movies

Best known as:

The whip-cracking archaeologist of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones first appeared in the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark and went on to become an enduring hero of movies, TV and video games. As played by Harrison Ford, Jones was an intrepid, fist-fighting archaeologist who wore a fedora and carried a bullwhip while racing the Nazis to unearth the lost Ark of the Covenant. The movie was the brainchild of George Lucas (who first dreamed up the character) and Steven Spielberg (who directed), and co-starred Karen Allen as Jones's old flame Marion Ravenwood. Ford starred in two sequels: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, with Sean Connery as Indiana's dad). An episodic television series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, ran from 1991-93; it starred Sean Patrick Flanery as the teenaged Jones and Corey Carrier as the very young Jones. A fourth feature film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, once again starring Ford and Allen, was released in May of 2008.

Extra credit:

Jones's full name is Henry Jones, Jr.... Ford had earlier starred in the Lucas films American Graffiti (1972) and Star Wars (1977)... The original movie spawned a brief public craze for fedoras and the "Indiana Jones look"... Spielberg's wife Kate Capshaw co-starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom... Reportedly Jones got his name from a dog, Indiana, owned by George Lucas and his then-wife Marcia.

More on Indiana Jones from Infoplease:

Indiana Jones - Biography of Indiana Jones, The whip-cracking archaeologist of Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Indiana Jones Film Series - Indiana Jones film series, which includes reviews, summaries, cast biographies, hangman, features concerning historical accuracy, and much more.|Movie reviews, cast biographies, the historical accuracy of the films, and more